Month: May 2017

Loved this show! Lucky enough to attend as a guest on Opening Night and just loved it. Mix of fairytales, mystery and enchantment. The darkness of the tales is broken up by the well-timed comedy throughout. Talented actors and a brilliant set. Just a few nights left in Melbourne so get down to see it!

The Fairytale Lives of Russian Girls opened in Melbourne on 19th May 2017. Not knowing what to expect, I can honestly say this is an exceptional piece of independent theatre, one of the best I’ve seen in a while. Well produced, brilliantly acted and totally engaging.

The storyline is:

Once upon a time, in 2005, 20-year-old Annie is sent by her mother back to her native Russia to brush up on the language, and lose her American accent. Underneath an opulent, neon-lit, post-Soviet Moscow she discovers an enchanted motherland – teeming with evil stepmothers, wicked witches, and ravenous bears.

The dynamic nature of the play means there is never a dull moment. The fairytale stories have been intertwined and you keep guessing throughout, what will happen next. I loved the tailoring of the stories to the Russian setting and the actors captured that grim side to the fairytale’s well, as did the set.

The actors are all brilliant and perfect for their parts, however I must point out that Felicity Steel is a stand out. Her stage presence and physicality is spectacular and her delivery of the character will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Some of the players performed multiple roles which added a great dimension, and made the cast seem much larger than it was. A great diversity amongst the players too.

The Irene Mitchell Theatre is a lovely little venue tucked away in the backstreets of South Yarra. There’s a bar at the show – but make sure to eat before you arrive as there aren’t so many food outlets close by. What they’ve done with the set is incredible and it was the perfect space for this back streets fairytale play.

Like this:

I’m really excited to be working on this Pozible campaign. To see an organisation officially launch and give people with a disability access to the arts. Helps us Launch Raspberry Ripple Productions!! I’ve been working as Publicist for almost a year through Lovelly Communications and am so excited to see this campaign LIVE.

Raspberry Ripple Productions is a Disability Led theatre company. This campaign will help to build a fully accessible website, officially launch and put on many more brilliant performances that are inclusive. We aim to raise $9,500 – and hopefully more.

Raspberry Ripple aims to create compelling theatre of a professional standard using disabled and mainstream performers, writers, directors, designers and technical artists.

Celebrating the milestones – $9,500 is the goal!

Why is a company like Raspberry Ripple needed? Because disabled performers have been excluded from mainstream performing arts for too long.

Raspberry Ripple operates around the Social Model of disability, which says that the barriers put in place by a world designed for ‘normal people’ disables us far more than our bodies ever will. Disabled people are excluded from work, education, recreation – and of course, the performing arts.

As a small team and a start up, we have limited funds to operate on. We rely upon grants and income from our productions to continue. Such an undertaking as an accessible website has to date been beyond our grasp but we know without it, we cannot grow and fully offer the services to those who need them.

We ask you to help support us by donating to our campaign and helping us to raise awareness for disability in the arts.